Santa Rosa City Schools has released its annual attendance rates for 2011-12, tallied by school.

Here is are the average rates of absenteeism (ranked highest to lowest) on each campus:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Brook Hill, 5 percent

Steele Lane, 4.94 percent

Doyle Park, 4.71 percent

Monroe, 4.57 percent

Lincoln, 4.24 percent

Biella, 3.91 percent

Burbank, 3.46 percent

Hidden Valley Satellite, 3.37 percent

Helen Lehman, 3.31 percent

Hidden Valley, 3.28 percent

Proctor Terrace, 3.17 percent

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Cook Middle School, 6.79 percent

Comstock, 5.59 percent

Santa Rosa, 5.17 percent

Slater, 5.08 percent

Rincon Valley, 3.39 percent

HIGH SCHOOL

Elsie Allen, 8.32 percent

Piner, 6.10 percent

Santa Rosa, 5.41 percent

Montgomery, 5.12 percent

Maria Carrillo, 3.92 percent

On the middle and high school campuses, there is a direct correlation between the rate of absences and the rate of poverty among students. Elsie Allen has the highest rate of student poverty among high schools in the district and it also has the higest absentee rate. Conversely, Maria Carrillo has the fewest students living in poverty and the lowest rate of abstenteeism.

The same holds true on middle school campuses: Cook has the highest rate of poverty and the highest rate of absenteeism, while Rincon Valley has the lowest rates in both categories.

Why are these numbers important, aside from the notion that every minute in the classroom counts toward a student’s education? Because according to the district, each 1 percent fluctuation in actual attendance has an impact of $837,000 on the district’s budget.

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Extra Credit by Press Democrat education reporter Jamie Hansen is your place for daily school news and conversation. Send items to jamie.hansen@pressdemocrat.com and check in daily to read, debate and discuss the latest happenings in schools and classrooms around the North Bay.

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